It was supposed to be a normal day. Heck, it even started normally. I woke the gang up around 6:30 so we could get ready for school. If they were going to be on Earth with me, they were going to endure everything I've had too, including the devil's favorite creation; public school. Paul had packed everyone lunch which was pretty nice of him. The only thing was that as he gave each of us our lunches, he smirked evilly. I just figured that was his human body getting used to Pop Fizz being inside it. Apparently he was smiling evilly. I shared my first block, Algebra 2 with Dan and Rachel. I had no idea Rachel was a math whiz. She even corrected one of the answers Mrs. Foreman had given us for our notes. Dan was scratching his head the whole time. My next class, Spanish, was interesting. Sam and Mrs. Flores had an entire conversation in the middle of class. Who knew Sam was such a good Spanish speaker? When I asked him about it he replied "It helps to know a bunch of languages when you spend all night in a prison full of prisoners from everywhere". At first I had no idea he worked at a jail, but then I remembered Snap Shot was the leader of the Trap Team and worked at Cloudcracker Prison.
I hadn't seen Paul the entire day until lunch. He was sitting gleefully at a table where we all joined him. We unpacked our lunches. Sandwiches, pudding cups, and bags of chips cluttered the table. I was genuinely surprised that our very own Pop Fizz turned human had pulled it off. Even the plastic bottles of soda were a nice gesture. We all had different colors. I had a dark blue soda, Dan had a green soda, Rachel had a pink soda, and Sam had a teal soda. Pop Fizz calmly took out a thermos and drank from it.
"Uhh, Paul, why aren't you drinking soda?" Dan asked him.
Paul gulped some of his light brown liquid. "I had one yesterday and it made me super hyper. I didn't think it'd be good if I had one in school. By the way Chandler I love this place! I had chemistry last period and I made a giant foam explosion! The teacher was pretty impressed. Oh, and there was this girl, I forgot her name, I think it was Laura? Anyway, she cracked up at all my jokes. She was pretty funny too, even more than you Dan."
Dan took a spit take. "Funnier than me? Mate, I come in at a close second behind you!"
"Well you were a close third after Eruptor. But now you're even lower and that's where I lose count.
"I don't think Paul needs a soda to be hyper" I mentioned. I motioned to the fidgety guy. His hands were restless on top of the table as he munched on some of his food.
Rachel took a glance at Paul. "Oh well, we're used to it."
"Yeah, but the Earth isn't." I told her.
"Yes he is" Dan said and then his eyes widened surprised that the words came out of his mouth.
"Wait, what do you mean he is? We just got here?" Sam questioned.
Dan shook his head and raised his arms. "No no, he is from Skylands. I jus' mean he seems to have fit in pretty quickly."
"Nah, Dan is right! I am from Earth." Paul said. Sam, Rachel and I looked at him simultaneously. "What? It's true. I mean, Rachel, you said yourself no one knows where I came from. That I'm such a mystery in Skylands. It's because I'm from here."
"Does that mean you have a family?" Rachel asked.
"Well yeah, but they haven't seen me in five years! I left when I was twelve. They've probably moved on."
"Paul, you have to see them! They probably miss you!" Rachel said.
"What? Nahhh, they wanted me to move out as soon as possible."
"Oh come on. They have to! Most families love their families."
"Yeah, most being the key word there" I said.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked.
"I was gone for almost two weeks and my mom didn't question where I was at all. Sure most families would take a bullet for each other, all I'm saying is I get where Paul is coming from. All I'm confused about is how Paul became Pop Fizz and not a copy of another Skylander like I was."
"Even I don't know that!" Paul said. "Heck, Double Trouble is the one who gave me my name."
"Wait, you understand Double Trouble's jibberish?" Sam asked.
"That's what I said!" Dan told him.
"Okay, so how do you know about this already?" I asked Dan.
Paul defended him "I told Dino-Rang when we were saving yours and Snap Shot's behinds from President Cupcakes himself"
"Oh yeah, I completely forgot about him." Rachel said.
"How did you forget about him already?" I asked. "He was arrested yesterday."
"Wait, so only yesterday we were in Skylands?" Dan asked.
"Well yeah. Although it does seem like forever ago" Rachel said.
At that moment I remembered one of the reasons I hated Earth. "Hey look, it's the girly gamer" Came a bruiting voice.
I sighed. "James, what do you want?" James towered over me from behind and tussled my hair forcefully.
"Why don't you take the ribbon out of your hair and ask me again.
Rachel stood up. "Hey, you can't talk to him like that."
"Oh snap, does this precious one here have a girlfriend?" James said leaning an elbow on my head.
"She's not my-" I stammered.
"I'm not his-" she stuttered back. We both blushed as we looked at each other.
"Ahh, so you're not taken?" James said to Rachel. That was enough to make Dan stand up.
"Woah there mate. Why don't you take a step back" he told him.
"Oh yeah? Why don't you make me?" James taunted.
Someone from behind James, even bigger and buffer than him backed him up. "Is there a problem here?" his voice boomed with a low below.
"Dylan, hey, there is no problem here" I said, still being squished by James's elbow.
"Look guys, I am sure there is a not punchy way of solving this" Paul said.
"Well if it isn't the nerd. What are you going to do math us to death?" James mocked. I could swear I say Paul's eyes sparkle.
"No, a peace offering" he pulled out two dark brown sodas from his bag and placed them on the table. "It's root beer. I'm sure you two will like it. James, Dylan?"
James eyed Paul down. Eventually he grabbed the sodas and handed one to Dylan behind him. The two bullies uncapped them and gulped down the drinks entirely. Paul smiled as they chugged the sodas. James looked at Paul. "What are you smiling about?"
"Oh nothing" Paul said, "although I will be cracking up in about three seconds. Both of you are chickens"
Before I could ask Paul why he would say that at all, James and Dylan's' eyes glazed over and they dropped the empty plastic bottles. They bent their arms and crooked them into their bodies like T-Rexes. They bent their knees and flapped their arms. "BWAAAAK!" they both yelled. They bobbed their heads forwards in jerking motions. They continued to screech and waddle around as chickens until Paul saw it fit to stop the embarrassing torture.
"Alright, you're normal again" Paul said. Dylan and James's eyes came back to normal and James glared at Paul.
"You're dead meat nerd!" he said and approached him.
"Now you're professional polka dancers"
James and Dylan's eyes glazed over again and this time, they bent their knees and flailed them in and out in an impressive amount of rhythm. People all over the cafeteria began to laugh at them.
"You're robot porcupines" Paul said and this time the two got on all fours.
"I am pokey" James said in a monotone robotic voice.
"Must destroy all humans" Dylan said the same way. They arched their backs and made thwipping noises and pretended to shoot out their quills.
I sighed and put my hand in my face. "I didn't sound like those robots, right?"
"Aww, Chandler, if you spoke like a robot I don't think we'd be friends" Rachel said.
"Now you're ballerinas!" Paul said now cackling evilly. Dan laughed along with him as Dylan and James got up and began to leap around with their hands above their heads. Both were humming the "Swan Lake" theme. The cafeteria was now dying laughing at the sight of their two most popular members of the student body dance like ballerinas in the middle of lunch period.
"Paul, how are you even doin' this?" Dan said, rolling on the floor in tears.
"Don't laugh Dan. One of those was meant for you"
Dan stopped laughing immediately and got up.
Paul smiled evilly. "Confess you're love to your crush!"
"Oooooh, that is just evil. You sure you haven't worked for Kaos?" I asked. Paul shrugged jokingly.
Went back to his table and picked up a piece of pizza. "Oh sweet pepperoni. I don't know if I told you this, but-" he stopped talking and scarfed down the pizza.
James stood next to Rachel and then got on one knee. "I don't know who you are or why you hang out with these losers, but I promise you if you love me I will never ever cheat on you more than twice"
"Okay, Paul you mind stopping this?" I asked. Rachel was pushing James away as he puckered up.
"Yeah yeah, okay okay," Paul assured. Before he could say anything however, Principal Tucker and Mrs. Simmons one of the assistant principals walked over to the table.
"What on Earth is going on here?" Principal Tucker asked.
Paul shrugged innocently. "I dunno sir. I gave them some drinks to be nice and then they started acting all weird. I have one more though. I don't know who to give it to."
"Well, uh, that was very nice of you, Paul was it?" Mrs. Simmons said. "But James should mind his personal space."
"Uh huh, sure, but first. Principal Tucker, would you like some?" Paul offered.
"Well, sure I guess. Thank you Paul" Principal Tucker said and received the soda. He took a swig and placed the bottle back on the table.
Mrs. Simmons shrugged. "Might as well" she said and then took a drink from the bottle of "root beer" as well.
Immediately both of their eyes glazed over. Principal Tucker looked at Mrs. Simmons. "Oh Diane. Will you run away with me?"
"Oh Marvin I thought you'd never ask!" Mrs. Simmons said. The two then kissed each other right in front of us.
"OH MY GOD! PAUL STOP THEM! STOP THEM RIGHT NOW!" I cried knowing I'd be scarred for life.
"GAH! OK! YOU'RE ALL BACK TO NORMAL!" Paul said. The four of them stood there and their eyes returned to their usual color.
Principal Tucker looked at us as if nothing had ever happened. "Well, looks like you've all gotten things straightened out. Behave yourselves." Then he walked away leaving the assistant principal behind.
Mrs. Simmons tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. "Yes, um, what he said." Then she walked away too.
Dylan and James glared at the five of us and then sat back down at their table.
I turned back around smiling. "Paul, minus that last part with our principal, that was awesome!"
"Why thank you." Paul said and then jokingly bowed. "Glad to be of service."
Sam, who had not spoken at all the entire time, looked at Paul. "Mate, that was hysterical. I was 'bout to honk louder than a joey kickboxin' a weasel"
Rachel smiled. "Hey, Snap Shot! Your Australian accent is back."
"Well I guess it is! Serves the jafa right. Score one for the nerd!" Sam spoke.
I lifted my bottle of soda. "Well, here's to the nerd"
"To the nerd!" the other four said in unison and we tapped our bottles together in cheers. So maybe they would survive Earth. Who knows, maybe we'll actually live to be Skylanders again.